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In our penultimate episode we discuss the Indo-Persian world and the establishment of the Mughal Dynasty. We talk about the particular expression of Islam that flourishes in South Asia and how it is shaped by the religions of the region. We explore the ecstatic or “drunken” Sufism of poetry and music, with special attention payed to the poetry of Rumi, the style of the ghazal, and the flourishing of qawwali music. We talk about the origins qawwali with Amr Khusru as well as the fusion of Indian and Persian art in the Taj Mahal and jali. We regale the story of Layla and Majnun as characteristic of the type of devotional, universalist Sufism that features prominently in the reign of Akbar. Finally, we conclude with a brief discussion of the Sunni-Shia split under the Ottomans and Safavids, setting the stage for the coming of the Europeans.
